Folding chair.



T. M.- PAINTER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILI ZD JULY 5, 1907.

902,248. Patented Oct. 27,1902;

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES: IIVVE/VTOR. KWM Thomas MPOmi/er.

ATTORNEYIS T. M. PAINTER.

FOLDING CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1907.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' INVENTOR. Th01ni1sM.T"d1'nIc7f W1 TN]? 8858 6 77]. 7. m I 5 .4;

ATTORN Y8 WASHINGTON, n, c.

THOMAS M. PAINTER, OF OLEVELAND,OHIO.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed July 5, 1907. Serial No. 382,191.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. PAINTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, and do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to folding chairs, and the invention consists in a chair which is adapted to fold with the bottom fiat against the back and the front legs flat against the bottom, and which is strong and firm and cannot collapse of itself, all substantially as shown and described and particularly point ed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the chair open. Fig. 2 is a cross section of a portion of the bottom thereof on line 22, Fig. 1 looking front and showing one front leg as it stands in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the chair folded and sectioned vertically, and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the chair folded and partially sectioned.

As thus shown B represents the back of the chair, C the seat frame and D the front legs. The back is a rigid frame with cross pieces 2, 3 and 4. The seat is a rigid frame pivoted on the back in this instance on cross rod E, and having corresponding parallel bars 5 and (3 in pairs respectively, as herein shown. The outer of the two pairs of bars 6 are also the outer bars of the seat frame, and bars 5 are central and all are in the same plane horizontally and form a firm support for the seat proper, S.

Of course the framework of the seat can be materially modified from that shown and be within the invention, but the present construction is a strong and serviceable one. As it is the front legs are supported on pivots S bet-ween bars 6 and separated on their sides on said pivots by spools 7, so as to bring the legs centrally between said bars and afford room for the spring brace wires 9 to work between said bars and legs. The said wires are of strong spring steel, so that they are exceedingly stiff, and are bent into approximately U shape as shown, engaging at their center in said front legs and at their ends adapted to slide and engage in guide and confining members G. The said members are of cast metal or struck up from sheet metal and adapted to be set and fixed in suitable recesses in the sides of bars 5 and 6, and provided in their side faces with channels 10 of gradually deepening depth from the shallow end having hole 12, adapted to be engaged by the right angled end 13 of side wire stem 9, to the opposite end wherein said wires rest when the chair is folded. Said guide pieces also have right angled guard flanges 14 projecting laterally inward and overhanging the side channels 10 and serving to confine wires- 9 as they run back and forth inthe manipulation of the legs.

Said wires are bent so as to have a decided lateral spring, and hence when the legs are opened and brought to a stand the ends 13 of the wire will snap into holes 12 and firmly and rigidly lock the legs until they are released by hand to fold the legs. Then as said wires run back to the deeper ends of guide channels 10 the tension is relieved again, as it is when they are in holes 13. So it occurs that in either position of rest the tension on wires 9 is only taxed in changing the legs from one position to another and is not strained while the legs are at rest.

A vertical brace 16 centrally at the rear of the chair supports brace wire 18 for the seat, a pivot bracket 20 on said brace engaging said wire and the right angled ends 13 thereof runnin in guides G in the sides of bars 5 exactly as in case of wires 9 for the front legs. The upper end of brace 16 is engaged by cross-rod E, just within the rear cross portion of the seat frame, and said frame comes up against cross rail 3 of the back, when down, which gives increased rigidity and firmness to the structure. WVhen the seat is in use braces 18 engage in holes 12 in guides G, while front leg braces 9 rest in corresponding holes 12 and brace the front legs, and both sets of braces require to be disengaged by hand to fold the parts. Seat S is preferably a light separate part, of veneer or other suitable material, and may be temporarily fixed on frame (1. Said frame having closely arranged cross bars front to rear makes a firm support for the seat.

It is to be observed as a distinguishing feature of this chair that the legs have individual spring braces slidable on the seat frame, and that the seat frame has an independent brace to about its middle from the back frame of the chair. Hence each leg is handled separately in folding and unfolding the chair, as is also the seat. Neither seat nor leg is locked when folded though it holds its place as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 and the chair can be handled without their flying open. In fact when the chair is open it is perfectly rigid in all its parts, and cannot be folded without releasing each part separately. The brace 18 constitutes an angle brace between the back frame and the seat and front legs, and when the chair is open the said brace has all the merit of an absolutely rigidly fixed brace in that relation, protecting the seat against back and forth rocking movements. The chair leg braces likewise come in the angle with the seat in such manner as to make the legs mechanically rigid with the seat.

\Vhat I claim is A folding chair having a rigid one part back and leg frame, a seat frame pivoted to fold thereon and to open to seating position, separate folding front legs pivoted on the front of said seat frame, three several pairs of guide channels on said seat frame, a wire brace 011 each leg adapted to be automatically locked in the corresponding pair of said channels, and a wire brace pivoted on the said back and leg frame adapted to run and automatically lock in the middle pair of said channels.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of'two witnesses.

THOMAS M. PAINTER.

*itnesses E. M. FISHER, H. T. FISHER. 

